Baby Shower
by ElizaMitchell
Summary: It's not what you think.


**_A/N: Post-Day 4 AU. Pure fluff. Enjoy!_**

* * *

><p>"Have I told you lately..." Tony brushed his lips across his wife's exposed shoulder, "how gorgeous you are?"<p>

Michelle grinned as her fingers toyed with one of his short curls. "It may have come up once or twice."

In reality, it was nearing the twentieth time she'd received the compliment from him in just one day.

"Well..." He brought his hand up to caress the soft little patch of skin behind her earlobe and looked into her eyes. "You are."

She rolled her eyes. She was over eight months into her pregnancy with their first child and had never felt less attractive — or mobile — in her life. Regardless, he didn't continuously praise her just on impulse or to tend to her insecurities. He didn't say it to patronize her. He said it because he genuinely, wholeheartedly meant it. His Michelle would always be the most beautiful woman in the world in his eyes — even this enlarged, emotional, exhausted version of Michelle.

Her head fell against him as her eyelids began to droop.

An hour later she stirred and found herself in the exact same position as when she'd dozed off — nestled against Tony, who had dutifully stood in as her pillow, on their living room couch.

She blinked a few times but made no attempt at moving. "Tony?"

"Hey," came the drowsy reply.

"Hey... What time is it?"

"Just after nine."

"Mmm," she sighed contently into his chest. "I should go take a shower," she mumbled after a while.

He chuckled. "That would require standing for more than a few minutes, sweetheart."

She squirmed a little. "Well, when I said 'I'..."

"The 'we' was implied?"

"Yeah."

He barely suppressed a grin. "Sounds like a better plan."

She nodded against him, willing her eyes to stay open. "But you'll have to help me up first."

"Of course." He shifted his arm out from behind her shoulders, helping her sit up before sliding off the couch and pulling her to her feet. He couldn't help the grunt that slipped out from that last effort.

"Old man," she teased light-heartedly as she fell in beside him.

"Hey!" he laughed, leading her down the hall. "I'm still as strong as ever. You're just not as light." He patted her round midsection. "Our boy must be pretty solid."

She beamed at that. "He must be. And I'm sure my sore back and swollen feet would agree."

He nodded as they entered the bathroom. "It's the Almeida genes."

"Ah, of course." Her smile faded slowly and she grimaced. "I hope he really is _solid_ and not just _big_..."

Her husband subdued her fears with an assuring smile as he peeled her black camisole up over her head and tossed it on the floor. The longer he was married to her, the more he was convinced that Michelle Dessler-Almeida could do absolutely anything. She had nothing to worry about as far as having the baby was concerned. "You'll be fine."

She pulled down her sweatpants as Tony swiftly undid the clasp of her bra and pulled the garment off. As he stripped off his shirt, she went to undo his belt before inadvertently bumping into him with her belly. He pulled her face to his and they laughed softly into each other's lips before her forehead landed against his tiredly.

"We'll make this quick," he promised.

Once they had discarded the rest of their clothes and stepped into the cascade of lukewarm water — the water Tony insisted was as hot as was safe for the baby, despite Michelle's not uncharacteristic complaints about being cold — Tony began working shampoo through Michelle's wet curls, massaging her scalp. She rested her back against his torso as he finished and followed with the conditioner.

Her hair now rinsed clean, he stepped in front of her and squeezed some of her mild body wash from the bottle into his palm and rubbed his hands together. Delicately, he proceeded to smooth the milky substance over her pale skin, starting with her arms and shoulders before moving over her breasts and down to her swollen abdomen. He rubbed gently over the stretched tight skin and let his hands settle on the place where his unborn son resided for the time being, smiling to himself. He loved seeing Michelle like this, loved doting on her and protecting her when she was vulnerable. Loved holding her up when she was weak and discovering new reasons to adore her, as if he didn't have enough already. He leaned down to scrub the backs of her thighs, pressing his lips to her protruding belly button as he did.

She moved her hands to support her lower back, smiling bashfully. "You like that." It wasn't a question as much as an observation.

He bit his lip adorably and she couldn't resist the urge to reach out and tangle her fingers in his damp hair. "It's cute." He stroked his thumb over the navel his son had pushed outward, despite it always having been an "innie," gently. "I'll miss it."

He straightened after slathering her legs and lightly brushed a few water droplets off her cheek needlessly. He really just had an affinity for touching her face and staring into those dazzling brown eyes of hers. "Good?"

She nodded and leaned happily into his shoulder as he shut the water off and opened the shower's glass door. He grabbed a navy blue towel from the rack and draped it around his wife's now shivering body, guiding her out onto the tiled floor before taking a towel for himself.

He patted her dry and reached for a smaller towel for her hair, working at drawing the water from the sopping mess before running his fingers through it gingerly. "Do you want me to...?"

Michelle yawned and shook her head. "I'll deal with it in the morning."

"You sure?"

"Mhmm," she sighed, clearly fighting sleep again.

"There ya go, then." He kissed her cheek. "Done."

She smiled appreciatively before reminding him, "I'm not dressed yet."

He crinkled his brow. "Who said that was part of the plan?"

She giggled and wrapped her arms around his waist as best she could. "Thank you, honey."

He kissed the top of her head and rocked her in his arms slightly. "Anytime, 'Chelle. S'what I'm here for."

"Mmm, well I appreciate it," she murmured into his skin. How was he always so gloriously _warm_? "I don't feel like I tell you this enough, but I really don't know what I'd do without you, Tony..."

"Good thing I'm not going anywhere, sweetheart." He pressed his lips against her temple. "I love you so much." Lifting her towel enough to expose part of her baby bump, he planted a kiss there as well. "You too, baby."

Michelle's eyes filled and she placed a feather-light kiss on his mouth. "We love you, too."

He smiled for the umpteenth time that day and enveloped her hand in his. "Let's get you two to bed."


End file.
